EZRA TAYLOR FACES TOUGHEST TEST AGAINST WILLY HUTCHINSON IN MANCHESTER THIS MONTH
Ezra Taylor opens up about being deported, his bond with Malik Scott, and his plan to upset Willy Hutchinson on January 24.
For a while, people have said Nottingham's Ezra Taylor had it all, but he didn't truly believe it until he teamed up with Malik Scott.
Taylor, with a record of 13-0 and 9 KOs, was doing great in his first 11 fights. So, some were surprised when he moved to Los Angeles to train with Scott earlier this year.
The new setup with Scott, a former heavyweight fighter turned coach, didn't start smoothly. Taylor spent 23 hours in a U.S. detention center after going to Mexico to watch Gerald Washington's fight. When he tried to come back to the U.S., they told the 31-year-old he was being sent back to the UK.
“Don’t worry, we’re settled here now,” Taylor says from his temporary place in West Hollywood. Yeah, I got deported last time. That was two weeks before the Troy Jones fight, crazy. Being stuck in detention for 23 hours isn't ideal when you're trying to get ready for a fight.”
But it didn't throw him off. He won his first fight with Scott by beating Jones, his only undefeated opponent, over 10 rounds. Then, five months later, Taylor and Scott got their second win together when Taylor stopped Steed Woodall in the ninth round at London’s O2 Arena.
Now, Taylor is back in LA to get ready for his next fight, which he calls the toughest one yet. On January 24, Taylor is set to go up against Willy Hutchinson, who's ranked No. 10 by The Ring, at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena. For the first time, the odds are against Taylor.
But he thinks he has an advantage.
Usually, it's a 1v1 in the ring, Taylor says. But now it feels like a 2v1 because I have Malik in my corner. That’s how much confidence I have since we started working together. I'm very thankful to have Malik in my life. He really changes everything.
“He’s like a father and a guide. If I could be like someone, I would choose him. He’s got great morals and beliefs. I’m learning a lot from him both in and out of the ring. We both believe in God, so we connect on that, too. It's more than just a boxing thing. We have a strong relationship.”
Taylor skipped Christmas with his family in Nottingham to focus on training camp, which continued without a break over the holidays.
“I’m working hard here,” he says with a smile. No Christmas for me.
“This has been a long and helpful camp. I'm getting used to the climate and changes because you have to get used to them. America's totally different from the UK. The training is hard, but you have to get used to it. And you can see the results in my fights. I'm getting better all the time.
“I've got an apartment here where I relax. I just go back and forth to training. I train in North Hollywood, stay in West Hollywood, and train two or three times a day.
“We can put in the time, and we don't have a strict schedule. We don't have to stick to a one-hour session; we'll go for two if we need to. If I need to perfect a left or right, we'll keep working on it until I get it right. So, it's great. The way we work together is great.”
What about Hutchinson, who is younger but has more experience? He lost a close fight to Joshua Buatsi in September 2024 and is now determined to get a shot at a world title.
“We already have a plan,” Taylor says. We know what we need to do. It's nothing out of the ordinary for me.
“That’s what I keep telling people. You've probably seen the best of Willy Hutchinson, but you haven't seen the best of me yet. People should remember that.
“We know he switches stances and is hard to read. So, you have to spar with everyone—southpaws, orthodox fighters, and switch-hitters. The sparring here in LA is intense. It tests you.
“Being here is great because they have all kinds of styles to deal with. And I trust Malik completely. He's a genius at what he does.
“I'm excited. I don't have to do anything crazy in the ring. I'm just going to go in there and be the best Ezra Taylor.”
TYSON FURY BLASTS ANTHONY JOSHUA AFTER DANIEL DUBOIS STOPS FABIO WARDLEY IN MANCHESTER
Tyson Fury has labelled Anthony Joshua "chinny" after Daniel Dubois secured the WBO heavyweight title against a resilient Fabio Wardley.
_1778508156.webp)
Tyson Fury wasted no time after Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley this past weekend, using the moment to take a shot at Anthony Joshua.
Dubois picked up his second heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, grabbing the WBO belt from Wardley in a wild, bloodied battle that’s already being called a fight of the year candidate.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Dubois, though. He hit the canvas twice in the first three rounds but bounced back hard, battering Wardley late and leaving his face a mess as the final bell sounded.
Wardley never actually went down during the fight, despite looking wobbly near the end. Credit to him for sheer toughness, but Dubois still beat him decisively. This was Dubois’ first victory since his massive upset over Anthony Joshua earlier in 2024, when he floored AJ four times in one night.
On Sunday, Fury chimed in about Dubois’ latest win. With his own fight against Joshua rumoured for later this year on Netflix, Fury saw an opening to stir the pot.
“Just been thinking about Dubois’ crazy fight last night,” Fury said. Dubois fought [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down. He fought. [Filip] Hrgovic stopped him but never put him down. Fought Wardley last night and stopped him, but didn’t put him down. He hit Usyk with bombs but didn’t drop him. But against Anthony Joshua? Drops him five times.”
Fury added, “I’m not saying Joshua’s got no chin, but facts are facts. Take it however you want. Nobody else went down, not Miller, not Hrgovic, not Usyk, not Wardley. But Joshua hits the deck five times? Chinny, get up, slink!”
Fury is coming off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and has already signed on to fight Joshua this year. Joshua will warm up first against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before facing Fury.
Promoter Frank Warren says Fury vs. AJ will probably land in October, though Fury might want another tune-up, which could push things back a bit.
As for Dubois, he’s got options. There’s talk of a rematch with Wardley, a chance to settle the score with Usyk in a trilogy, or a domestic showdown with Moses Itauma. Dubois’ dad, Stan, told talkSPORT he’d rather see his son fight another British heavyweight next, not Usyk.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
